DAY 8 TRANSALPINE COMES TO AN EXCITING END in LATSCH, South Tyrol, Italy
A CELEBRATION ALL THE WAY TO THE FINISH! As I finished my last pit stop at the final Aid Station...the anticipation and excitement started to well up. I shoved my final round of tomato, cucumber, salt and banana in my mouth and off we went! Always when we see the 10 km mark, it is home stretch. This was a pounding 10km downhill all the way into the apple orchards of Latsch......The last few days, I felt stronger and stronger as we approached the finish and better everyday...but now I was feeling it! For the first time in awhile the heaviness set into my legs, knee twinging, crampy muscle in adductor...and Simone with her taped up shin....ignoring any tweaks she may have....we decided to go for it....Or as we say to each other ' Give it Hell, Babe!' As we got onto an open stretch, it was our chance to pass and pass lots we did (hard to pass on the technical downhills)....with 3km to go...I hear a Arrrrgggggghhhh thump!!! Simone fell hard....must have hit a root on the ground....it knocked her for a minute...as heart rates and adrenyline were pumping.....with a scaped up shoulder and the breath knocked out of her....she got right back in.....she was having her strongest day....we both felt good.....Now the home stretch.....As we appoached the finiish....Andy ran out to us with huge Sunflowers and sprayed us with a bottle of Champage....the crowd was roaring....We swooped each other up, got on the ground and rolled over the finish (Simone's idea)...then I picked up my girl and swung her around......The Elation at the finish was like no other..We got a little glass of Champagne as we crossed the finish and received the medal around our necks.....It was unreal to fathom what we had done over the last 8 Days....With the highs and lows, grumpiness, impatience, aches here and there....we just had to get up and do it....and the body and mind so adapted and now ...I just need to absorb everything I just did and take in this very emotional moment....just awesome....No matter what place...how slow or how fast.....it is sticking it out to the end, getting up when you fall, supporting others who are there, taking in the awe of the land we get to cross, being your own best coach to give it your all each day and appreciate the energy and the pain and exhaustion, ...it's about turning off the mind and just running...being purely in the moment....(well the great space in between aid stations at times sure tested my patience...)...and the support from everyone....from high up at 3000m in the cold to the finish line just blew my mind and highlighted everything......Can't say enough about this experience.......Words will never give it justice....It just has to be experienced....What is absolutely crazy is I feel somewhat fresh and want to keep going, like I am just getting into it....will keep it up until I come home anyways....TEAM ENERGI ended up 10th overall for the women out of 36 Teams........10 Teams of the women had pulled out...We completed the 8 Stages in over 45 hours - Our higher placing days were the Mountain Sprint and the last day.... The CELEBRATION continues into the night........FOOD, PICS, VIDEO, MUSIC, DANCING will miss our Portugese Brothers (who we always ended up running with), will miss HOSE - the crazy spanaird...who would rub my bruised eye everyday.....will miss Ingrid and Seppe in their Magic Bus (an old Mercedes Trailer) always driving us around and taking care of us....I will miss them all.....UNTIL NEXT YEAR!OK I am looking for a male....who loves to run fast downhill......any takers on this? The fatigue has set in today in the middle of my little hike....I think tomorrow is a chill, write, pack, make some goodbye visits around Rietz, and espresso day...Home in 4 Days....OK my friends BIG HUGS Karbear
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 This Event is absolutely mind bogglingly amazing....I am so used to running and climbing most of the day now...what the heck am I going to do when I get back....I'll just have to take all my clients and friends out climbing and running - hmmm we'll have to find a mountain though...DAY 6 SKUOL, Switz to Mals, South Tyrol, Italy 37km This was one of the most incredible stretches we did. As we climbed over to Italy...they had a steep section that was breathtaking, with tunnels and complete drop offs about a foot or two outside of my foot....pretty wild...I am soooo lucky to be running through this land. The organization and everything they do for each day is incredible.....from the Helicopters above us filming to all the Photographers out on course....even 3000m high to catch numerous shots of the day...in no time they put a film together of all the best pics and video of the day...I am so thankful that I am feeling stronger and stronger everyday....I never would have imagined that ...even though I did train a lot for it...body gets so used to it....that you can push even more. I so look forward to it everyday. I am blessed that I have no injuries or problems going on.....many people have nagging injuries that are now really flaring up and lots of people with stomach problems...who can't eat or drink much. I feel bad for my Team Partner Simone...on this day...she was exhausted the whole day. Lots of tears today not just from Simone...but from lots (they say a lot of tears are on DayThis 6, different stuff going on). It's a different thing running in a TEAM (as I have never before) when you are so used to individual...it's a patience thing knowing that you can't really push it even if you feel good, when partner is not well....it's not about your performance for the day.....it's sticking it out no matter what.....Today my Body said to eat everything in sight....so I did....cake, and more cake and lots of other stuff....Not used to that!Then there is Jose, who keeps rubbing my eye in the mornings before the run, lightly and speaks full on Spanish as he's doing it he is doing this to help it heal faster.......and JOSE ROCKS as it looks better that ever.... DAY 7 MALS to SCHLANDERS, South Tyrol Italia 36km up to almost 3100m Love this profile today! This is my absolute favourite type of course to do......all steep uphill and then steep downhillWhat an incredible course ....the views blow you away......On narrow rocky single trail, almost on hand and knees nearing the top.. in the distance we hear..Crazy bald Gerhardt the farmer (who has done this event numerous times) playing his Trombone. By the Way, this man decided to pick a really cool route and ran 100km everyday for 25 days...one of many wild things he has done. Hitting the 3000m crest today was unbelievable......so many people supporting and cheering like crazy and then it was here....DOWNHILL....steep at first through sand like terrain....some were almost skiiing down it...was awesome!I felt even stronger today...and Simone...I know didn't feel super strong and then her shin splints were acting up like crazy....we had to pull back a bit but still managed to climb in rack to number 8! Yeahhhhh TEAM ENERGI! Tomorrow is the last day......I feel like I want to add on a few more days...30km to Latsh OUR FINISH! and then the very last stage is PARTY And DANCE ALL NIGHT BABY! Will keep you posted! Almost done! HugsKarrie   DAY 5 - BERG SPRINT 6km 1000m up.....Give it YOUR ALL BABE....And TEAM ENERGI did and climbed up the ranks a bit....We did a time of 1:04...and we were
pumping it! Holy cow did that ever feel short! Just got back from the Spa place...oh it's got everything in there.....doesn't hold my attention too long though....The naked Sauna part was OK though..... Well I'll tell you, if any of you were near the tent of Karrie and Simone this early morning as we awoke...you would have thought...What the heck is going on? Non stop laughter.....as we both awoke and looked at each other ....we were freaked out! Totally! Like something from the Night of the Living Dead....I have never in my life seen my face like it was...and hers was pretty much the same, except for ...she didn't have a black eye. We were sooooo puffed out...our eyes looked almost closed....I took a pic...to use as my mirror and was in shock....we could NOT stop laughing...You wouldn't believe it.....people were in shock as we walked through the camping shower area....we were trying to cover our face....I looked like Rocky just coming off from a fight! We have heard from others who have done this event many times, that it is very common to swell up in the face and eyes...especially around DAY 5....which is NOW.....Just a reaction from performing day after day. - the body, especially legs tends to swell up a bit too (or hold onto water)........But man am I ever glad I got some pics of that! In face I might use it for my FACEBOOK pic! Can't wait for tomorrow's early morning look!...That might be a better one for Facebook.... Oh and another highlight was our pre race Cafe stop this morning....only 12 Francs (almost $15) for a coffee and Simone and Double Espresso for me........now that was a funny one... I am just thinking now, it would be wierd to get up and do nothing tomorrow....we are so used to it now...it feels like we need to do it...and so look forward to it... Tomorrow is 37km and only 1300m of climbing up....that means A LOT of running tomorrow and less climbing..... I like a good mix of both but mostly steep climbing and steep downhill...that's the best! OK good night Until tomorrow my friends..........Ooooh this event just keeps getting better and better... Schlaf Gut Karrie |
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